Twin Rib Socks

One of the most difficult questions for me to answer about my projects is this:

“How long did that take you?”

I may have a general idea of hours, days, weeks, or months — but I don’t track the details. How long did an idea percolate in the back of my mind before I began to act on it? Did I spend time researching patterns or techniques? Was I able to quickly grab materials I already had on-hand, or did I need to take time to go shopping and search for something specific?

Then there is the making itself. Some projects are made through a series of little moments, while others are the result of an uninterrupted block of time. Some projects require my total attention, particularly if they involve a new or difficult technique, while others are made almost on autopilot.

Three Weeks
From cast-on to weaving the ends, I spent the past three weeks knitting a pair of socks from the Twin Rib pattern by Charlene Schurch. I used Serenity 20 from Zen Yarn Garden, which is a gorgeous fingering weight blend of 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The skein, in the vibrant one-of-a-kind colorway Notebook, was a gift from my mother. Thanks, mom!

Three weeks sounds like a long time, but of course it wasn’t all of my waking hours for a solid three weeks. This pattern consists of a simple two-row repeat, and socks are a portable project. In addition to my usual late evening knitting in front of the television, these socks were knit at baseball games, during school informational meetings, and while waiting for my children after events. The pattern is straightforward enough that I was even able to read a light novel while I knit.

I don’t want to be flippant and devalue the process by saying it took almost no time to knit a lovely and comfortable pair of socks that coordinates with every color in my wardrobe. But for the most part, I was knitting during those moments that are easily considered wasted — if they’re considered at all.

On the other hand, one could say that everything I’ve ever done has led to this moment. In which case, to borrow from the anecdote about Picasso, this pair of socks has taken my entire life.

Maybe I should stick with the short answer of “three weeks.”

How do you tally the time you take to make your projects?